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The Heritage Foundation is marking the completion of the redevelopment of 236 Mass Ave. NE with a dedication ceremony to open the E.W. Richardson Building. The 36,000 square foot building, owned by Massachusetts Avenue Properties, LLC, an affiliate of Heritage, will be home to the Richardson Building Intern Housing program, visiting fellows and VIP guests, and three ground floor retail tenants.

The Richardson Building has seven levels, with four floors accommodating up to 186 intern-residents annually, six guest suites providing accommodations for distinguished guests and visiting fellows, and three future restaurants owned by local operators to serve the Capitol Hill community. The summer intern-residents, the building’s first class, will move in on Saturday May 19.

E.W. Richardson

The building is named in honor of E.W. Richardson, a World War II B-24 Liberator pilot who was shot down over Vienna and held by the Germans as a POW in 1945. Upon being liberated and returning from the war, Rich Richardson married, settled in Albuquerque and established what became, by the time of his passing in 2003, one of the most successful Ford dealerships in America among other business interests and entrepreneurial pursuits.

Mr. Richardson was known for his generosity and “give-back spirit,” supporting numerous universities and medical centers and establishing scholarships and programs that have enabled many people to follow their dreams. And in 2014, the Richardson Family and close friends made a remarkable pledge to establish a permanent voice for the principles and ideas of patriotic Americans like Rich Richardson. The E.W. Richardson Building, designed specifically with the Heritage Young Leaders Program in mind, is their promise that they will “never abandon the America Rich Richardson worked to preserve.”

“Young Americans are vital to our quest for freedom, prosperity, opportunity, and a flourishing civil society. That’s why it’s so important for us to provide the next generation with the resources needed to carry on the fight,” said Heritage President Kay Coles James. “The E.W. Richardson Building is an incredible resource that will enable Heritage to prepare young conservatives to lead American policy and culture – not just for years or decades but for generations to come. And it is truly an honor to remember Rich Richardson – an extraordinary American who lived an extraordinary life built on the solid foundation of conservative principles – by telling his story to everyone who visits the building.”